Stolen
by Omanyte-chan
Summary: He stole her home and family. She stole his heart. (BattousaiKaoru)
1. Prologue: Just Another Job

Disclaimer: I do not own RK.  
  
Notes: This is a Battousai/Kaoru fic. R rated for violence and sexual references (no, this is NOT a lemon). This is an AU fic (it takes place during the meiji restoration, but I change the relative ages and situations of many characters, henceforth making it AU). My current computer runs on a Dutch language operating system, so there is no spell-check for english. I've proofread this but I can't catch everything, so please be forgiving if there are spelling/grammatical errors.  
  
**Stolen**

Prologue: Just Another Job

---------  
  
You know, I wonder if they'll laugh when I am dead  
  
Why am I fighting to live, if I'm just living to fight  
  
Why am I trying to see, when there aint nothing in sight  
  
Why I am I trying to give, when no one gives me a try  
  
Why am I dying to live, if I'm just living to die  
  
-Runnin' 2 Pac

---------  
  
It was just another job.  
  
I'd read the description ten times, envisioning in my mind the facial features and terrified expression as I would approach them, blade drawn. I'd read the name only once. Names weren't important to what I did. In the end, they were all the same- corpses. _Like those bandits and slave traders had been long ago.  
_  
I approached the dark building, drinking in the scent of the air. It smelled like chrysanthemums. When I left, it would smell like blood. I pushed open the shoji screen door, entering the hall. I removed my sandals. It seemed strange for a hitokiri to respect old customs, but this one was actually rather assasin-friendly. Shoeless, I would leave no trace, and make no sound.  
  
I opened one door slowly, silently. The master of the house and his lady slept side by side, unaware of the approaching danger. I crept into the room until I stood above their futon, where the two lay together after a night of lovemaking. I peered at the man's face. A scar on his forehead, jagged. Long, ebony hair. A nose that had been broken long ago, and had never healed properly.  
  
I glanced at the man's wife. I didn't like killing women and children- they had been the ones Hiko had told me to protect many years ago- but if she awoke I would need to silence her. _Then a quiet, quick death it must be.  
_  
I raised my sword above the sleeping man and brought it down into his heart, turning it as it pierced through his flesh. He shuddered, and his eyes opened, but death overtook him before a sound could be uttered. His wife continued to sleep.  
  
I left quickly but carefully, making sure my exit was as soundless as my entrance. His blood would touch the woman and wake her soon enough, and I intended to be far away by then. I slid the shoji door shut and carefully stepped into my sandals before dashing off on light feet. Just before I was out of hearing distance, I heard a woman scream.  
  
---  
  
"Himura, great job on the assasination yesterday," complimented Iizuka, "Killing the man while his wife slept- I'm impressed. You've always been a top assasin, but lately you've been just unhuman- untouchable."  
  
"If I were untouchable, I wouldn't need to sneak up on my victims," I replied, taking a bite of my dinner: grilled fish with fresh vegetables on a plate of white rice.  
  
"Well, there's no black envelope tonight, so why don't you come with me?" invited Iizuka, "Tonight I'm going to a... ah... tavern of sorts." I frowned. Ever since my first job, saké hadn't tasted the way Hiko had described it would. Yet it gave me a chance to forget what I was, even for just a few moments. And it meant a couple less hours I had to spend in solitude.  
  
"If you insist," I answered.  
  
--  
  
If there was one thing I hated, it was being lied to. I'd joined Iizuka expecting a bar, someplace I could have some saké and escape for a little while. He brought me to a brothel.  
  
"Iizuka..."  
  
"Lighten up, Himura. You became of age last week- why don't you have some fun?"  
  
"I'm going back to the inn. I have no business here." I stormed out the door, infuriated. As a hitokiri, I had no strong moral values when it came to human life. And I drank occasionally. Meaning often. And although I'd never been with a woman, I hadn't committed to a live of celibacy.  
  
But brothels reminded me of the three girls who had given their lives to save mine.  
  
I returned to the inn alone, walking through Kyoto's dark and deserted streets, the moon and stars lighting my way. It seemed an odd thing to do, as I wasn't on a mission or returning from one. I walked was almost as if I were a civilian, quickly making my way home before a stray sword found me.  
  
I thought of last night's duty, of the man whose own home had not even saved him. _Fujitaka Kamiya_. He had been master of the Kamiya Kasshin school, but it wasn't Fujitaka the Ishin truly considered an adversary- it was his father, Hito Kamiya, who had given enormous financial support to the Shinsen-gumi. In my mind, the screams of Lady Kamiya echoed.  
  
My mother had screamed when my father died. It was no violent sword death, no sudden accident. It had been cholera, but she screamed all the same. I didn't blame her- I'd been frightened as well. With no men in the family of age, our overlord had come the next day to sell us all for what money he could. But cholera was a quick death, and it spread easily. It overtook my mother and two younger brothers before the slavewagon had arrived.  
  
So I faced it alone.  
  
In that first day, I befriended the three girls being sold as prostitutes, and would have given my life for them had they not done the same for me first. After all, what does an orphaned slave boy have to live for?  
  
I mentally kicked myself for returning to that night. What did it matter? I was a hitokiri now- the most feared swordsman in Japan. The whisper of Battousai sent chills down the spines of every government official who didn't side with the Ishin, and even of some who did. My name was a secret everyone knew. A far cry from what a slave boy should have accomplished. Why shouldn't I be pleased with what I'd become?  
  
---  
  
The next evening, a black envelope came. Tenchuu. Heaven's justice. I was the one to carry it out, as usual, but this night the manner was different. The name inside was Hito Kamiya. Not surprising. After killing his only son, I assumed the man himself would follow.  
  
"Hito Kamiya is very well protected, and is a former Kamiya Kasshin master himself," Katsura described to several of us that evening, "Himura will take care of his life, but the rest of you need to create a distraction necessary to draw as many bodyguards away from him as possible. Fujitaka's widow and young daughter may be residing with Kamiya. Be certain to kill all witnesses."  
  
"Yes sir!" we replied. _As if he needs to remind us_. That was why I preferred there were no witnesses. I took up the sword to protect the weak, but if I had to kill witnesses, I slaughtered the weak. _A man's life is full of contradictions, I suppose.  
_  
We set out beneath a moonless sky. Iizuka and a number of other men set off toward the back entrance. After all, that is where an assasin is most likely to strike. I made my way to the side of the wall.  
  
A cry. An order to bring all guards to the back gate. My signal to move. I sprang upward, landing atop the wall delicately, as a student of the Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu should. I surveyed the space around me, finding it deserted. I looked to the house itself, where a single room lay alit. _I can jump from here to the second story promenade easily_. There was no need to involve the numerous guards on the first story, after all.  
  
I leapt through the air and landed neatly on the promenade. Wasting no time, I silently stole away toward the candlelit room, opening the shoji screen doors with a crack when I arrived.  
  
I found myself face to face with five of the Shinsen-gumi. Kamiya stood in the center of the room, sword drawn, smirking.  
  
"You must be the Hitokiri Battousai. I must say, you're not quite as intimidating as I'd imagined." The five gathered around me, prepared to spill my life's blood. _Not if I spill theirs first._  
  
One of them charged at me, aqua haori flapping madly as he approached. _Batou-jutsu._ I unsheathed my sword at godlike speed, slashing through his middle as though it were air. He grunted and fell lifeless to the floor, a fountain of blood and fluids spewing from his severed gut. The scent perfumed the air, and I inhaled it.  
  
"Who's next?" Somehow the scent of blood gave me more confidence. Outside of battle I was coolheaded enough, but somehow its scent, texture... even the knowledge of its presence was like an intoxicating drug to me. When I fought a deathmatch, it felt like it was all I lived for. Until the high wore off...  
  
Two of the wolves approached, but I was ready.  
  
"Ryu sho sen! Ryu kan sen!" I cried out. Two quick slashes and they were gone. Blood rained upon me- it clung to my hair, and ran in rivulets down my face.  
  
A fourth wolf charged forward, sword ready. I caught his blow with my wakizashi, while stabbing forward with my katana. It raked his flesh, but did not kill him. Crying out, he thrust forward with an attacked that mimicked Saitou's Gatotsu. But only mimicked. I swung my wakizashi to the side, and it sliced into his chest, slitting his heart. With a groan and splatter of blood, he fell to the ground. _Four down, one to go._  
  
"Ready to taste death?" I posed as I raised my sword threateningly toward the last of the shinsen-gumi. His eyes met mine, dark blue and resolved, and accepted my challenge._ At least the shinsen-gumi have honor. They do not run when death faces them._ It was more than I could say for many of the men I'd been ordered to silence.  
  
We both charged at each other, our swords clanging and vibrating in the instant of connection. Back and forth we parried, niether of us gaining the upper hand for several moments. Suddenly, I parried a little harder than usual, sending him slightly off balance. In the split second he used to regain it, I leapt high into the air, katana prepared for my favorite attack.  
  
"Hiten Mitsurugi Ryu: Ryu Tsui Sen!" I fell toward his shoulder, blade sparkling in the candle light. He raised his sword to defend it, but I fell too quickly, and he failed to block me. Blade sliced through flesh in a sea of red. I landed gracefully on my feet, while he fell gracefully upon the bloodstained tatami.  
  
Then I noticed something unexpected. I felt pain- a sliver of pain on my left cheek, running parallel to my jawbone. I sheathed my wakizashi and with my left finger traced the direction of the pain.  
  
I felt an open wound. In a way, it frightened me. The only ones ever to wound me in battle had been the Shinsen-gumi captains, but I did not recognize this young man. Although he lay dying, I would not stand to carry a scar made by a nameless wraith.  
  
"Who are you?" I investigated. The soldier lay in a pool of his own blood, gasping for air as he fought against the darkness of death.  
  
"Tell me your name!" I ordered.  
  
"K-kenji K-kamiy-ya." He shuddered and breathed no more. _No wonder Hito gives the Shinsen-gumi his fortune- his family is with them._ A breeze blew in, and I realized the room was empty. I felt no ki but my own, and my eyes couldn't see a trace of Hito Kamiya.  
  
"Craven," I insulted, "Running off while your own blood dies." To forsake one's soldiers was a crime. To forsake one's family was worse. Nonetheless, I had to find him. I dashed through the halls of the mansion, slicing a couple of guards in half as I came across them. But besides those few guards, the mansion was deserted.  
  
I raced outside to find some of the others cleaning up after their fight. Defeat painted their faces.  
  
"Kamiya is-"  
  
"Escaped," finished one of the Ishin, "We saw him leave. We sent a couple of us to assault his carriage, but not even you can outrun a horse."  
  
"I've never failed an execution before. I will see Kamiya's blood spill tonight," I vowed. I dashed through the streets of Tokyo mindlessly, ears open for the sound of hoofbeats, creaking wheels, or whinnies.  
  
But he had been right. Even I could not outrun a horse. I didn't want to return to the inn at all that night- the shame of prey slipping through my fingers was more than I could bear. _Get over it... he was the one who sacrificed his honor, not you_. I stood in the street dumbly, katana drawn should I need it.  
  
Then I sensed ki. Two ki. An old man and a middle-aged woman. I knew those ki.  
  
I turned to a run-down house. I heard a woman sobbing. No trace remained of the horses, but doubtless they'd been driven in another direction to trick the pursuing Ishin. _But not me._  
  
I threw the shoji door open, and the two cowered in fear. Hito Kamiya, sword drawn, and the woman from two nights ago stood in a corner. I slowly removed my katana from its sheath and approached them.  
  
"I hold no personal grudge against you, but for heaven's justice your blood shall wet the ground tonight." I charged at Kamiya, thrusting my katana forward, hoping to connect with his flesh. But even an old master can't be easily underestimated. He managed to parry that first stroke. But only the first.  
  
With my second strike, my blade sliced through his chest, poking out on the other side. I turned the blade, sending blood flying across the small room, then jerked it out. Kamiya never had time to scream. But the woman did.  
  
"No! NO!" she cried out hysterically, "Not Lord Hito too... why, kami-sama? Why?!" I approached her, katana dripping with the old master's blood.  
  
"Why have you done this?!" she pleaded, "Why must you do this to me?! To my children?! Lord Hito said you killed Kouji, and most likely Kaoru as well!"  
  
"I carry no resentment against you. However, no one witnesses my tenchuu and lives to tell of it." She cowered in a corner, screaming and crying insanity, as I slit her throat with one flick of my wrist. Her blood poured out in waterfalls, her last words a choking cry. I flicked some of the blood off my sword, then pulled out a white cloth to clean the rest.  
  
Mission accomplished, I thought to myself as I slid the door open and prepared to leave. But as I did, I chanced to look back for a moment at the two sorry figures, namely the woman. Destroy all witnesses. She hadn't been armed, nor had she tried to fight back. But I'd killed her nonetheless. _Like how those bandits killed Akane, Kasumi, and Sakura..._ I shook my head and shut the door, slowly making my way back to the inn. I couldn't let something like that bother me so much.  
  
After all, it was just another job.  
  
----------  
  
Note: The "coming of age" for a samurai traditionally takes place at 15 years. Therefore, in this story Kenshin is 15.  
  
I know this is supposed to be a romance story and they pair haven't even met yet (although Kaoru has been referenced) but I really needed to end it there so I could tie up the first and last lines. Therefore, this is the prologue. The lyrics to the song in the beginning don't fit this prologue very well, but it is the set of lyrics that inspired this fic as a whole.


	2. The Girl

Disclaimer: I do not own RK.  
  
Notes: This is a Battousai/Kaoru fic. R rated for violence and sexual references (no, this is NOT a lemon). This is an AU fic (it takes place during the meiji restoration, but I change the relative ages and situations of many characters, henceforth making it AU). My current computer runs on a Dutch language operating system, so there is no spell-check for english (and my dutch sucks so I can't read the directions well enough to try installing one without breaking something). I've proofread this but I can't catch everything, so please be forgiving if there are spelling/grammatical errors.  
  
Chapter 2: The Girl  
  
I arrived at the inn, bloodsoaked but not uncomfortable. In another room, a bunch of the men shouted and fussed over something, but I didn't care to eavesdrop. _Drunk men boast about their battles. As if taking a life is something to be proud of._ As much as I tried to push them out, the thought of the woman's screaming and begging as I slit her throat remained fresh in my mind. And my wound bled.  
  
_A simple flesh wound should have at least stopped bleeding by now._ I stepped up to the bucket of water and threw it over myself, washing off the blood of many. I washed it as it slid off my flesh and fell to the ground. _And there it will dry and return to the earth. Forgotten._ It was already amazing how much one could forget. I'd been an assasin for nearly a year, and already most of the names had faded.  
  
A loud shriek errupted from inside the inn. A woman's shriek. _Drunken bastards, they're bothering the innkeeper's girls again._ An assasin isn't often one to play the hero, but I took a deep breath and decided to go in anyway. If anything, it would take my mind away from the murder for a few minutes.  
  
I stepped up to the inn and pushed open the sliding door, alert and ready to pull out my katana if need be.  
  
"No!" came a pained shout, "Let go of me!" It was a voice I didn't recognize, so it couldn't have been one of the innkeepers. Laughter echoed throughout the hall as someone fell to the ground with a thud.  
  
"Gee, who knew those Kamiya pigs made'em so pretty?" sniggered one of the men, causing whoever they made a fuss about to shriek and whimper even more. I pushed myself toward the center of the circle, sliding through the tightly packed bodies of hot-blooded Ishin.  
  
I stumbled into the center of the circle, looking down on a young raven- haired girl. She crouched on the tatami mat, bruised and bloodied, her kimono tied lopsided and her hair nearly falling out of her messy ponytail. Two frightened blue eyes quivered wide open, searching for an ally.  
  
"Hey Himura!" called out Ichiro, a man of twenty with dark hair tied in a topknot, "What do you think? Kamiya's spawn." He grabbed the young girl from behind and violently forced her to her feet, her screams harvesting more laughter from the men.  
  
"Let go of me!" she wailed, thrashing her limbs about as Ichiro's hands began to wander up and down her figure.  
  
"Why should I?" taunted Ichiro, "Is it not my right to enjoy the spoils of war?" Her wandering sapphire eyes met mine, dark and beautiful. _She has the same eyes as Kenji did_. They shone with fresh tears, her pupils wide and afraid.  
  
"What spoils?" I returned harshly, "Lord Katsura ordered us to _kill_ all witnesses- not take them hostage."  
  
"She's Old Man Kamiya's granddaughter. If we have her hostage, he'll pay a pretty penny for her," argued Ichiro.  
  
"The Tenchuu has been completed." A smirk came to Ichiro's face, and he thrust the girl aside, where she tumbled to the floor with a grunt  
  
"So it has, so it has," Ichiro replied darkly. "I should have known nothing could keep Himura Battousai from his mission. The rest of us gave up once we lost track of Kamiya's carriage." Iizuka stepped out of the crowd (which had begun to disperse slightly) and into the center of the room with Ichiro and I.  
  
"Let me make a proposal, Ichiro," deliberated Iizuka, "Since Himura's done such a nice job with the assasination, why not let him have the girl?" Ichiro scowled and shot his gaze toward Kamiya's granddaughter as she tried to crawl away from us. He stepped on the hem of her kimono, cementing her to the ground. I didn't reply, glaring at Iizuka for his perverse suggestions. _What the hell is he thinking?!_ Iizuka stared at me, and lifted an eyebrow, taunting me. Ichiro glowered at the two of us, furious at the threat to his "spoils" but intelligent enough not to cross the Ishin's most skilled assasin.  
  
"If you won't have her, I'm certain Ichiro will be more than willing," Iizuka reminded. The girl on the floor quivered, little frightened gasps escaping her lips as she pondered Ichiro and I. _Ichiro's intentions are clear_, I reasoned, _but if I... no one will ask any questions...  
_  
"She'll come with me," I stated. Ichiro snarled and stormed away, giving the girl one last kick in the shin before retreating. She flinched and looked up at me, fearfully. Iizuka glanced at her, then me, and followed Ichiro, first patting me on the shoulder. I watched him leave, and waited until he was out of hearing distance before acknowledging my new hostage.  
  
"Follow me," I ordered gently, "There's been a mistake, but we'll wait until morning to take this issue to Lord Katsura." I turned to her, and my eyes met hers.  
  
"I won't hurt you," I comforted, not having decided yet whether or not that was a lie. The girl turned her head about as she slowly pulled herself to her feet.  
  
"You're just saying that so you can get me in your room without a fuss," she accused, "Well I'll have you know- I'm not moving from this spot!"  
  
"Yes you are," I contradicted as I quickly snapped my hand upon the base of her neck. She shuddered, her pupils dialated, and she fell unconscious into my arms. I lifted her gently, then carried her through the dimly lit hallway of the inn, past three corners and into the last chamber. My room.  
  
I gently laid her atop the tatami mat while I fumbled in the darkness to light a candle. The tiny flame shimmered on the walls of the room, making the shadows dance. _Benjiro and I used to look at flame shadows... we'd see them on the wall and tell their stories as we watched them dance._  
  
I shook my head and ignored the candle, pulling out the futon that lay unused in the corner. I slowly unfolded it, a clean scent escaping from its folds. I lay it in the center of the room, then unfolded the deep maroon blanket that came with it. I fingered the material, frowning a bit to find it was thinner than I'd expected.  
  
Grabbing a scrap of black cloth, I knelt beside the girl and slowly wiped the blood from her face. A cut lip, a chipped tooth, a bloody nose, the beginnings of a black eye... this girl had certainly put up a fight. I brushed the red liquid away as best I could without going outside to find some water, then set the scrap aside and gently placed her on the futon. Covering her over with the blanket, she stirred a bit, but didn't achieve full consciousness.  
  
I watched her sleeping form as she lay on the futon, and I fingered the hilt of my katana. _I'd killed witnesses tonight... and I'll need to kill her too, won't I?_ It made everything I'd done to help her completely pointless, but somehow I didn't mind.  
  
_I told her I'd consult Katsura in the morning, so I will. The innkeep's women won't stand for a murder inside the inn in any case_. This uncompleted branch of Tenchuu nagged at my conscience, but I did my best to ignore it as I prepared for sleep.  
  
I retreated to the stack of books in the corner where I'd found slumber for the past year. I unsheathed my katana and leaned it upon my shoulder, then blew out the candle and drifted off to sleep. It had been a long night, after all.  
  
----  
  
I didn't dream often. A hitokiri must always be alert, and never allow himself to be distracted by hallucinations- even in the depth of slumber. But that night I did.  
  
_"Mama! Keitaro want food!" my baby brother demanded, flashing his pouty face.  
  
"Mama's busy, Keitaro my love. You can eat in a few moments. Play with Shinta and Benjiro until then." Benjiro and I sat on the ground, jabbering and laughing as a red and green striped top spun between the two of us. Keitaro waddled between the two of us and stepped on the top, stopping it completely.  
  
"Keitaro!" shouted Benjiro, annoyed, "You always hafta ruin our games!" Keitaro pouted and began to cry, as our mother yelled at the two of us from where she prepared dinner. It had always been that routine, really. Benjiro and I were less than two years apart in age, and each other's best friend, while the gap between Benjiro and Keitaro was four years.  
_  
_"Don't cry, Keitaro," I comforted, being the eldest of the three children, "You can watch the top spin with us. But stepping on it isn't part of the game." Keitaro nodded as I spun the top once more._  
  
A shifting sound resonated in my ears and my eyes shot open. Judging from the light on the shoji screens, it was close to dawn, and the Kamiya girl had awoken.  
  
"W-where am I?" she asked in a high pitched voice, "How did I get here?"  
  
"Do you remember anything about last night?" I inquired. It would come to her later, if not now.  
  
"Who are you?!" she demanded, "Does my grandfather know where I am? What about mother and Kenji?"_ She doesn't remember anything. She thinks they're still alive_. I hadn't meant to hit her _that_ hard. _Though she has been through quite a trauma. Perhaps this is some advanced form of denial.  
_  
_But if that's the case... then perhaps I can make up a story to explain all this and she can leave here peacefully_. Alive. But Katsura would need to be the judge of that, and I didn't dare wake him though he was usually an early riser.  
  
"I've been keeping you safe in here. The sun has not yet risen, so please sleep some more. I must consult my master in a few hours concerning your well being." _I kept you in here so you wouldn't be be gang raped. It's not day yet, so shut up and go back to sleep. In a couple hours, Katsura will decide whether you live or die._ It was amazing how colorful words could give a tight, frightening situation a safe, appealing demeanor.  
  
It worked, nonetheless. She curled up underneath the blanket, not yet aware of the scabs, bruises, and caked blood covering her face. Some people could fall back to sleep. Unfortunately, I wasn't one of them.  
  
I reached for the the bookcase where my top lay- the same one Benjiro and I had played with so many years ago. I set it upon the ground and spun it, watching the colors swirl together as it meandered around the tatami. Iizuka would laugh if he saw me, a man of age and feared assasin, playing with a child's toy.  
  
The trinket always seemed to calm me, and pulled me into a state as close to meditation as a hitokiri can achieve. Before I knew it, the shoji door slid open behind me, and footsteps entered my room. I caught my top in mid- spin and thrust it into the sleeve of my gi for safekeeping.  
  
"I hope I am not disturbing you, Himura."  
  
"No, Lord Katsura," I replied as he shut the door and moved to kneel beside me. Katsura snatched a few confused glances at the Kamiya girl, who had begun to stir again at the sound of voices. She sat up and rubbed her eyes, flinching as she rubbed the black one.  
  
"Who is the girl?" investigated Katsura. I knew she was one of Hito Kamiya's granddaughters, but now that I thought of it, that _was_ an excellent question.  
  
"Would you be so kind as to tell us your name Miss?" I asked gently as she peered at her blood-covered hands fearfully, deaf to my words.  
  
"Where am I?! Where did this blood come from?! Grandpa? Mama? Kenji?!" She tossed about fervently, her messy ponytail flying in every direction as she spun her head to observe her surroundings.  
  
"Can you give me your name please?" I repeated, "We will try to help you." Katsura gave me an odd look as I said this, but I paid no mind. The girl sat still for a moment, though I could sense fear and anxiety screaming in her ki.  
  
"Kaoru Kamiya," she answered, "Now will you please tell me where I am?!"  
  
"In time. Lord Katsura and I need to speak over a few things," I narrated, then returned my attention to Katsura.  
  
"The men must have taken her from the Kamiya mansion. I've kept her safe in here. She doesn't seem to remember anything about the Tenchuu," I summarized, whispering close to Katsura's ear, "What shall we do with her? She can't be a witness if she has no memory of the event."  
  
Katsura didn't reply, but rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He never picked up the sword himself, although he always carried one with him. Once I'd asked him about it, and he'd told me he must keep his life pure if I was to be his assasin. He didn't like to kill unless it was necessary for the war or the continuation of the Ishin Shishi.  
  
Kaoru looked at the two of us curiously, bright eyes blinking innocently. She tried her best to fix her kimono by tugging at it, cringing when her fingers brushed across a blood stain, and wincing when she awoke a sore injury. _She's suspicious, of course. Who wouldn't be?_  
  
"Miss Kaoru," began Katsura, turning toward her, "Isn't your mother's family name Myojin?"  
  
"Yes sir," Kaoru replied, "They're a samurai family."  
  
"They're not high-ranking, and not many know of them, but they have a large family tree with lots of interesting connections. I'm certain they will be happy to have her safely returned to them, and the Ishin Shishi could always benefit from the Myojins as friends," decided Katsura, relating his decision quietly in my ear before turning back to Kaoru. "We shall contact the Myojin family and you shall leave here with them as soon as possible."  
  
"But why not simply return me to my grandfather?" suggested Kaoru, puzzled.  
  
"Hito Kamiya was assasinated last night," I explained nonchalantly, "And so was his daughter in law and his grandson, although they were not originally meant to be involved. You were kidnapped, but we've moved you to this safe location until we can have the Myojin family find a home for you." It was amazing how leaving out a few choice details could turn the villain into the hero.  
  
An anguished cry escaped Kaoru's lips. She looked at her bloodstained hands, felt the blood caked on her face, and began hyperventalating. I watched her as she murmured to herself in denial, hot tears turning red as they mixed with the dried blood on her cheeks. She shook uncontrollably, and her irregular breathing mixed with her tears to become sobs, until she hugged her knees and shuddered, crying to herself.  
  
I felt a strange sensation in my chest as I watched Kaoru. I wanted to comfort her suddenly, to give her my words of sympathy. But I was an assasin, and feelings of mutual pity couldn't be acted upon. I'd killed Kaoru's brother, father, mother, and grandfather. I had no right to speak to her now.  
  
Katsura eyed her nervously for a moment before speaking. "I'll be notifying the Myojins," he excused himself awkwardly, "Good day." Katsura rose to his feet and exited the room, leaving the shoji door open behind him. I watched him leave, then stared at the sobbing Kaoru.  
  
_What the hell am I supposed to do now?_ I stood up and made my way toward the door, unsure of any other action.  
  
"I'll leave you alone for a few minutes," I explained as I stood in the open doorway, "Please do not leave this room, for your own well being." She didn't reply, only choked and sobbed upon the futon. I gazed at her as I slowly pulled the shoji door shut. I sighed, exasperated.  
  
I hoped the Myojins would arrive soon.  
  
------  
  
Note: In the manga, when Hiko finds Kenshin amidst the massacre, Kenshin explains that cholera killed his "parents and brothers." At the time, Kenshin was not so old, and no sisters were mentioned, so I decided on using Benjiro and Keitaro to flesh out his very early past a bit more.

This isn't really much of a cliffhanger, but I felt like finishing the chapter here. I'd like to thank all of my wonderful reviewers, your words are very encouraging .


	3. Strategical Reasoning

Disclaimer: I do not own RK.  
  
Notes: This is a Battousai/Kaoru fic. R rated for violence and sexual references (no, this is NOT a lemon). This is an AU fic (it takes place during the meiji restoration, but I change the relative ages and situations of many characters, henceforth making it AU). My current computer runs on a Dutch language operating system, so there is no spell-check for english (and my dutch sucks so I can't read the directions well enough to try installing one without breaking something). I've proofread this but I can't catch everything, so please be forgiving if there are spelling/grammatical errors.  
  
--------  
  
Chapter 2: Strategical Reasoning  
  
"Hey Himura!" called out Iizuka as I entered the dining hall. My eyes shot over to his voice, noticing an intentionally empty place between him and Ichiro. I hadn't planned on speaking to either of them until Kaoru was safely out of the inn, but I found my legs moving toward him nonetheless.  
  
I knelt down between the two men, greeting each with a slight bow before I turned to my breakfast. I picked up a clump of white rice with my chopsticks and munched on it silently, displaying my assasin's poker face.  
  
"So..." pryed Iizuka, "How was she?" I ignored him and swallowed another bite of the rice.  
  
"Don't play innocent, you took her to your room." I shut out his voice and concentrated upon chewing my cold rice, shutting my eyes.  
  
"If you're done with her, I wouldn't mind having a go tonight," sniggered Ichiro. I reached my hand to my sword hilt and pushed the blade up a few inches, angling it toward Ichiro. He eyed it, startled and breathless, until I removed my thumb and slid the sword back into the sheath.  
  
"Alright, I'll shut up- just don't pull a Battousai on me!"  
  
-----  
  
I didn't want to stick around the inn that day. Staying in the common room or the garden would mean annoying questions from the men, whereas going to my own room would mean an awkward silence between Kaoru and I. Instead I wandered through Kyoto's streets, amongst the busy vendors and customers.  
  
Most people found it odd how someone who secluded himself so often would enjoy a marketplace, where people are everywhere. But in reality, a marketplace is one of the best places to be secluded- in a crowd, no one could see if you were alone. _And they'll keep their mouths shut to boot.  
_  
I reached my left hand to my face, rubbing the raw flesh. It has stopped bleeding, but remained unhealed- no scab had encrusted over the open wound. I felt the skin separate as I inspected it with my finger, but it didn't bleed. _He must have used a strange kind of sword, to produce such a unique injury._ Not surprising. Someone with the riches of the Kamiya family behind them could afford any sort of sword they desired.  
  
I stood in a small nook between two vendor's shops, surveying the area. I supposed I meant to search out any suspicious activity, but didn't really put my mind to it. To my surprise, I found my sight to linger on a pair of Geishas as they wandered through the crowd, busily chatting to one another. Their black hair stood fastened with elegant hair clips which matched their silk kimonos perfectly. For some reason, a small smile curled up on my lips. Realizing it, I forced my face into a scowl.  
  
_Damnit, what has gotten into me? Women are not something I need to get involved with now. Not as an assasin._ I forced my eyes upon the wares of one vendor: large, western-style ribbons and cloth. Kaoru wore a ribbon, I recalled, immediately shaking the thought from my head.  
  
_Damnit Kenshin, you're an assasin. Women were always Iizuka's specialty- killing is yours. It's what you were born to do._ Born to kill. It seemed like a contraditcion. Wasn't human reproduction something concieved to expand the population, not destroy it? It was an odd thought, and I didn't like it much.  
  
I decided to walk for a bit, letting my steps distract me from my inner thoughts. I wandered about the marketplace, stopping to inspect the wares of vendors every once in awhile, but with no particular interest in buying anything. As the Ishin's top assasin, I was well paid, but I rarely used my salary. I had a roof over my head, clothes on my back, food in my stomach, and a katana at my side. There wasn't anything else a hitokiri could need. Needless posessions would only be bothersom if I didn't know when or where I would need to strike next.  
  
Unintentionally, I found myself staring at the western ribbons again, having subconsciously encircled the entire marketplace. _This is pointless,_ I thought, _if Kaoru needs anything, it's a new kimono, not a useless ribbon._ In actuality, a new kimono would dispel any ill thoughts the Myojin samurai family might have if they saw Kaoru's bloodstained one.  
  
Now that I had strategical reasoning behind my deed, I swiftly made my way through the marketplace to a shop filled with kimonos. They lined the walls in a rainbow of colors, from pale pinks and yellows to rich burgundies and violets. The most expensive were pure silk, embroidered painstakingly with murals of flowers, cranes, leaves, and anything else that may have crossed the maker's imagination. Less expensive silk kimonos were solid-colored, or embroidered and dyed with a simple pattern. Lastly came the cotton yukatas, for sleep and summer wear.  
  
Upon another wall hung the kimonos, hakamas, and gis for men. It was a far more subtle display of whites, greys, greens, and blues, with a few black pieces mixed in. I surveyed the selection for a moment, but reminded myself that the clothing I had was more than enough for a hitokiri.  
  
I returned to the brighter feminine kimonos, fingering a couple of the plainer silk ones. _These should fit their purpose nicely._ I inspected a light yellow one embroidered with a pastel pink cherry blossom pattern, then a plainer but higher quality lilac one. I frowned slightly. Either would serve the purpose, I supposed, but suddenly something caught my eye.  
  
It was unembroidered blue, but the richest, most intense shade I'd ever seen. It shone like a polished sapphire in the dimly lit shop, and flowed like water upon my calloused fingers. In my head I pictured Kaoru wearing it, and the color matched her eyes perfectly.  
  
I purchased it quickly and although it was more costly than need be, I didn't complain. To accompany it, I selected a shimmering navy obi. I held the treasures and marched home, the sun beginning to set behind me. Once again, I found myself in front of the ribbon vendor, just as he began closing up. _Well, if she's got a new kimono, she might as well have something to match_.  
  
"The blue one, please."  
  
-----  
  
I placed the items lightly in the corner of my room, Kaoru nowhere in sight. Feeling somewhat disappointed, I sat by the pile of books and pulled out the top, giving it a good spin. _She must have gone home already_. It made sense. The Myojin family must not live far from here. Unless... A high pitched noise sqeaked in the distance, from somewhere down the hall.  
  
I bounded toward the sound, which had become increasingly more panicked as the seconds ticked by. My heart thundered. _I told her to stay put for her own good!  
_  
"Ichiro you bastard, let her go!" I cried as I turned another corner, stopping in front of Kaoru. Her face was cleaner now, and her hair nicely brushed, but she still donned her tattered and bloodstained kimono from the night before. But to my surprise, she wasn't with Ichiro or any other Ishin.  
  
"Get away from me!" she squealed, flinching as a grey fuzzball scurried across the tatami mat toward her feet. Despite myself, I chuckled, then leaned down and gently lifted the mouse into my hand. It shivered nervously and bit at the sleeve of my gi.  
  
"There's nothing to be afraid of," I comforted, "It's only a mouse."  
  
"But- but it's a mouse!" she wailed. I glared at her for a moment, then immediately wished I hadn't. _She's under stress. Let it go.  
_  
"Didn't I tell you to stay in my room?" I questioned.  
  
"You bastard! You didn't even bring me food! Did you even rescue me, or am I some kind of hostage?" I mentally kicked myself for forgetting to feed her, while at the same time fretting over her words. _She might have some lost memories, but she's sharp._  
  
"Forgive me," I apologized hastily, "I will bring you something from the kitchens right now. But first you need to get back in my room. There are men in this inn who will hurt you if they see you." Kaoru pouted, but complied. She didn't have much reason to doubt my intentions this time. After all, I'd saved her from the mouse.  
  
I walked her back to the room, then made my way to the front entrance, to let the mouse outside. He skittered off into the dusk, perhaps to return later, perhaps not. He could come back the same night, scavenging for bits of spilled grain. He could meet a she-mouse and start a family of mice. He could find another inn with even more spilled grain. Or, he could be found by an owl or cat, and its life would end. _A mouse might be small, and a man might not, but in the end we're not so different.  
_  
I slid the shoji door shut and walked to the kitchen, where two of the innkeeps girls busily prepared dinner. Both looked up in surprise as I entered. They were young, about my age, and had kind faces. One stood nearly a foot taller than the other, but they both wore plain kimonos covered by aprons.  
  
"Good evening. I am sorry to disturb you," I apologized.  
  
"It's nothing, Mr. Himura," responded the shorter girl politely, "Do you need us for anything?"  
  
"Might I be able to borrow a bit of food? I have a... um... guest of sorts that I need to keep a secret, and she's hungry." The two girl's minds went to work, and a rosy blush spread across their faces. At first I was puzzled as to their reaction, until I rethought my words and the impression they might give, and blushed a bit myself before quickly switching to my poker face.  
  
The taller girl immediately packed a box filled with sushi rolls, some rice, and hot tempura. She pushed it into my hand while the shorter girl poured a cup of warm tea.  
  
"Here you go," they said in unison. I nodded and muttered my thanks, then quickly exited the kitchen to deliver Kaoru's meal.  
  
After arriving at the room, I placed the meal gently in front of her, handing her a pair of chopsticks. She snatched them greedily, and wolfed down the first few bites before remembering the courtesies expected of a highborn girl.  
  
"Thank you," she remembered, then continued eating, though more slowly and gently this time. I smiled to myself. People often commented on how mannerly I was, although I'd been raised both in a poor farming family and by an arrogant sword master. Yet here was a girl born into comfortable riches who still needed to remind herself to eat politely.  
  
"How old are you, Miss Kaoru, if you don't mind me asking?" I inquired suddenly.  
  
"Fifteen. Well, almost. I will be of age in a week," she replied, "How about you?"  
  
"I've been fifteen for only a week or so myself," I answered, somewhat amused to find she was not older.  
  
"You're a samurai, aren't you?" suspected Kaoru, "You've got to be. You carry a sword, and you don't seem like a common thug." I decided to answer her question with another question.  
  
"If I gave you a sword, would that make you a samurai?" Kaoru didn't answer, but instead turned her gaze back to her dinner. I watched her for a few moments, feeling my own stomach rumble. I always ate lightly, but that day I'd completely skipped lunch. Breakfast, after all, had been more than I cared to stomach.  
  
When she'd finished, I shuffled over to the corner of the room where I'd placed the kimono. I gathered it into my arms and handed it to her, with the obi and ribbon.  
  
"I figured you'd need something else to wear," I mentioned, slightly embarassed. Compassion and pity weren't things a hitokiri was supposed to acknowledge or act upon.  
  
Kaoru fingered the material and held the kimono up so she could see it. The sun had set by now, but in the candle light it hadn't lost one bit of it's beauty. She stared at it wide-eyed for a few moments.  
  
"You didn't have to..." she muttered, "This is the most lovely kimono I've ever seen." I wasn't prepared for that. I assumed she'd worn many of the fancy, embroidered kimonos in her lifetime, and this would be nothing more than a simple comfort.  
  
"It matches your eyes," I complimented, as she held it up to herself, "You should try it on."  
  
"No," opposed Kaoru sharply, mood abruptly changing, "I can't accept this."  
  
"It's a gift, Miss Kaoru. I can't make you wear that ripped one until the Myojins arrive."  
  
"Thank you," she said, bowing deeply, "Kenji always said I looked best in blue..." Fresh, hot tears ran down her face. She swiftly wiped them away and turned her back, but I knew I'd caused each and every one. _Even if she doesn't know it._ Guilt consumed me just then, and I wanted to leave- to be anywhere else but with this girl. _I was an idiot... to think a new kimono could make her forget...  
_  
"I'll be off now," I excused myself, "I have a yukata you can borrow, if you wish to sleep in something lighter. Sleep well."  
  
-----  
  
In the end, it all came back to saké. My master had been enamoured of it, and now I too followed in his legacy as the bright-eyed bartender filled my fourth glass.  
  
I rose it to my lips, and felt the warm alcohol run against my tongue. It tasted of blood, as usual. I cringed for a moment, then took another sip. _If I don't like the saké, why am I drinking it?_ I pondered, but in swallowing another sip I let this thought pass unanswered. Saké had a way of answering questions without speaking.  
  
Images passed before my mind of Kaoru's tears. I had done my duty as an assasin. A hitokiri couldn't let himself become soft to the tears of women. _But was it not the suffering of the populace that drove me to this extreme in the first place?_  
  
I downed the rest of the cup, much too quickly than I should have, but it nonetheless stopped me from asking myself introverted questions. I smacked my cup hard on the bar, and the bartender quickly poured me another glass. Her eyes lingered for a moment on my red hair, then traced the wound on my left cheek before she turned her attention to another customer.  
  
I knew I stood out easily. I hadn't found my red hair and amber eyes especially conspicuous until I'd left my master and gotten out into the real world. As a kid, my brothers all shared these same features.  
  
I knew the Ishin must admire my skills to keep me as an assasin despite my easily distinguished appearance. But this was also why killing all witnesses was all the more imperitave. A woman could describe a black- haired samurai with a blue gi and white hakama to the police and find one hundred such-described men as she returned from the police station to her home. Benjiro had been the last other living redhead I'd seen.  
  
Once I finished that last cup of saké, I decided enough was enough. I paid the young bartender, then made my way back to the inn through the dark streets. _She ought be asleep by now._  
  
I stopped short as I realized I was not alone. Behind me, metal slid across metal. I whirled around to face the stranger, drawing my own sword faster than lightning. He thrust his toward me, which I parried in a clang of metal.  
  
The two of us leapt back simultaneously, eyeing the other. In the dark, I couldn't see my attacker's face, but he had a very bulky form with lots of thick muscle. I leapt into the air and prepared to finish him with a Ryu Tsui Sen.  
  
My sword sliced through his shoulder and plunged deep into his torso. Blood rained upon me, splattering my gi and hakama with red. I paused for a moment to inspect the body more closely. He was no Shinsen-gumi, nor did he seem like a robber or thug. _Well, it doesn't matter who he was. He's dead now. I need to tell Iizuka to come clean him up._ I flicked the blood off my sword and sheathed it, then continued down the road as if nothing had happened.  
  
_There's always a possibility he was following me... the Kamiya assasination didn't go as smoothly as we'd hoped, and there's a chance a minor witness got away._ I paused for a moment and looked back down the road in the direction of the body. _I wonder if he had a daughter... or a sister..._ Blood from the wound on my cheek trickled down my face.  
  
----  
  
I shoved the shoji screen door open, surprised to find Kaoru still awake. She sat crouched on the floor wearing my yukata, bending down to write in a small leather journal. She looked up at me as I entered, gasping as she noticed my bloodstained clothing.  
  
"How-?" she breathed, eyes wide open.  
  
"Get some sleep, Miss Kaoru," I suggested gently. _If I'd known she were still awake, I wouldn't have come back like this..._ Kaoru's eyes narrowed as she looked me over, and she bit her lip nervously.  
  
"I overheard some men in the next room talking," Kaoru recalled, "They spoke of the Ishin's top assasin. It's you, isn't it?" My heart plummeted into my stomach. _What else has she discovered about me?_ The information she already had was enough to warrant a silencing if not for the Myojin samurai expecting a healthy young girl when they arrived.  
  
_Relax. She hasn't indicated she knows anything more. In fact, she's merely making an assumption based on the blood and a conversation_. Kaoru looked up at me expectantly, asking for a confirmation or denial.  
  
"The identity of the Hitokiri Battousai is confidential. Only a few Ishin are entrusted with the secret of his name. Anyone else who knows must be silenced, for the continuity of the clan. I ask you now, who do you think the Hitokiri Battousai is?"  
  
------  
  
I hope that's at least somewhat of a good cliffhanger ; . In two weeks I'll be gone for three weeks, so I'll try to get in two more chapters before then (but I also need to study for exams and stuff, so it might only be one.) In the end, this chapter turned out longer than I'd expected, six pages instead of five. Thanks again to all my wonderful reviewers :-) ! 


	4. Questions

Disclaimer: I do not own RK.  
  
Notes: This is a Battousai/Kaoru fic. R rated for violence and sexual references (no, this is NOT a lemon). This is an AU fic (it takes place during the meiji restoration, but I change the relative ages and situations of many characters, henceforth making it AU). My current computer runs on a Dutch language operating system, so there is no spell-check for english (and my dutch sucks so I can't read the directions well enough to try installing one without breaking something). I've proofread this but I can't catch everything, so please be forgiving if there are spelling/grammatical errors.  
  
Chapter 3  
  
Kaoru stared back at me, terrified. The blade of my sword reflected off her shining eyes as I slowly slid it out of the sheath. _Please, deny you know anything. Don't force me to obey Katsura. You don't deserve to die.  
_  
"Um..." Kaoru's eyes brimmed with tears as she watched my katana, breathless. I slowly lifted it above my head, turning it slightly so I could make a clean blow. _Speak... don't make me do this!_ Seconds lasted for eternity as I stood before her, preparing to do what I should have done the previous night.  
  
"He's um- a really, really strong swordsman!" panicked Kaoru, "A-and- and no one knows who he really is, just that he's really, really strong and really good at killing!" My eyes stared back into hers, amber and intense, for a single instant before I gently lowered my blade. I slid it slowly back into its sheath, then turned away.  
  
"That's right..." I murmured.  
  
"You were really going to kill me," murmured Kaoru, her face slick with tears.  
  
"You're afraid of me now," I realized. Kaoru said nothing, only looked away.  
  
"You're right to be afraid." _And I was wrong to think I could fool someone pure as you into trusting an assasin.  
_  
-----  
  
I slept uneasily that night, and Kaoru unwillingly. She tore at the pages of her diary with her pen until her eyelids shut and her frenzy ended.  
  
I opened my eyes the next morning to find Kaoru sleeping in disarray, leaning on her diary instead of her pillow. Her mouth lay open with a trickle of drool running down her chin to a moist spot on the futon. _Sleeping beauty indeed_. My yukata was too big for her, and fell lazily open around her chest, exposing more of her midrift than she likely wished me to see. Her hair lay mussed about, wild and tangled around the futon.  
  
I ate a quick breakfast before Iizuka managed to drag himself into the dining hall, then snatched some extra food to bring back to Kaoru. A mouse- possibly even the same one from the day before- flittered around my feet as I carried the food down the hall toward my room, and I affectionately dropped a few grains of rice on the ground for him.  
  
Kaoru stirred as I set breakfast beside her, and my eyes wandered along her form for a brief moment before I snapped my head away. _I'm just as bad as Ichiro, I swear..._ Kaoru quickly snatched at the front of the yukata, holding it together and blushing just a bit.  
  
"Forgive me," I begged suddenly, "Here is breakfast." I quickly spun around and prepared to leave the room, just as I had several times the previous day.  
  
"Wait." I stopped in my tracks and turned my head slowly toward Kaoru.  
  
"Stay here," she ordered meekly, "Even for a few minutes. I- I don't want to be alone."  
  
"But, aren't you afraid of me?" I asked in disbelief.  
  
"The Ishin's top assasin is someone to be afraid of, yes," admitted Kaoru, "But it's better than being alone again... with nothing to think about but my family." Her eyes pleaded for my company, and I gave in.  
  
"You're a brave girl, Miss Kaoru," I laughed gently. I sat in my usual spot by the books and looked at her.  
  
"Um... okay... now that you're staying... I should think of something to say, right?" deliberated Kaoru, "Um... well, there's a couple of things I've been wondering about you, actually, if you don't mind me asking."  
  
"You know who I am. There's little more to me that's more secretive. But," I added mischievously, "For every question you ask me, I ask you one. I'll be truthful, and so will you." Kaoru nodded swiftly- there was nothing she could possibly have to hide. Pure and innocent- what I'd been a mere year ago. Before death painted my hands red.  
  
"Okay... first of all, are you really Japanese? I've never seen anyone with your hair and eyes before." It was a question I'd been asked frequently, and a question I usually answered with a yes. _But there are things I need to know from her, and I promised honesty.  
_  
"My father was born a European. When he was an infant, a foreign ship wrecked on the coast accidentally. A Japanese family took him in and raised him as their own, giving him the name Himura. My mother was pureblood Japanese, so when the two of them married I inheirited my father's hair and eyes, but most of my features came from my mother. Technically, I'm half European, but I've never been brought up with European teachings nor spoke anything but Japanese. In my heart, I am pure Japanese, even if my blood says otherwise. A man's identity lies within his soul, not within his ancestors."  
  
"That's not true," contradicted Kaoru, "What about the emperor? Or the shogun?"  
  
"Their ancestors gave them power- not personality. According to your ancestors, Kaoru Kamiya is a highborn young lady. But in your soul you seem to be a regular tomboy."  
  
"Hey! I can be feminine!"  
  
"I'm sure you could, but it's not your nature."  
  
"Well, it isn't your nature to kill, is it?" I stopped dead. My eyes flashed amber for an instant, but I shut them and they returned to violet. _Just who does she think she's talking to?_  
  
"Of course it is," I attested, "I can wield a sword with more speed, strength, and agility than any other Ishin Shishi, and can hold my own against Shinsen-gumi captains. If this isn't my nature, then what is?!" My cheeks flushed red as I realized I'd spoken too fervently than I should have, and the occupants of the next room surely wondered what I spoke of.  
  
"But... you're so gentle," she murmured, almost afraid to speak after my outburst, "You didn't even want to kill that mouse."  
  
"Just because I don't like killing innocents doesn't mean a hitokiri isn't my nature. I've slaughtered countless men, and a few women too if my job called for it."  
  
"But you don't enjoy killing, do you?" Kaoru stated.  
  
"Enjoy is a difficult word," I reasoned, "In the instant I kill an armed opponent, there is a rush of adrenaline so great it's indescribable. The stronger the opponent, the greater the rush."  
  
"You regret it afterwords," she finished. _Sometimes. When I need to kill bystanders. But she didn't ask it, so I won't answer.  
_  
"It seems you've gotten a bit ahead of yourself in our agreement. It seems you've asked me four questions, so now it's my turn," I reasoned.  
  
"Hey!" burst out Kaoru, but she couldn't easily go back on a deal made with an assasin. She silenced herself and bit her lip in frustration. _There are a number of things I need to ask her, but I must be careful._  
  
"First of all, did your father teach your brother the final techniques of the Kamiya Kasshin Ryu?" Kaoru turned her head a bit, puzzled as to why I needed to ask a question about someone she presumed I'd never met, but she answered, as she'd promised.  
  
"Father taught the style to both of us. Kenji was two years older, so he learned the techniques first, but as the daughter of a samurai I needed to know the sword as well. Kenji was very skilled at the style." My thoughts lingered to the wound on my cheek. It didn't bleed, but it hadn't healed either. _If I'm ever to get a clue about this scar, I need to ask her._  
  
"Secondly, what sort of katana did Kenji use?" Kaoru's brow furrowed, though I was relieved to find it more in bewilderment than in sadness of remembering her brother.  
  
"He used a regular katana, crafted by Shakku Arai." I held my breath before asking my next question, contemplating the vaguest way I could word it without losing its value. _She's inferred so much from so little already... the last thing I want her to know is the name of her brother's killer._ I pictured in my mind the motion of Kenji's sword, the swift stroke that curved upward around the body to barely meet my cheek in time to draw blood.  
  
"In the Kamiya Kasshin ryu," I worded carefully, "Is there any sort of speed attack with the intent of creating a wound that does not have the ability to heal properly? In other words, a wound that remains open, so even those injured by the style will eventually die of bloodloss or infection?" Kaoru stared at me, horrified.  
  
"Kamiya Kasshin is the sword that protects life!" she defended, "It was originally developed for wooden swords- true swords are only used if life is truly on the line. The attacks are meant to disable the opponent- never to kill them." Internally, I breathed a sigh of relief. She doesn't suspect anything. For now.  
  
"I have one more question for you, Miss Kaoru-"  
  
"No you don't!" she answered triumphantly, "Your last question was two questions! Ha!" Realizing it, I mentally smacked myself. It must have shown on my face, because in an instant Kaoru began to giggle.  
  
_I've made her cry... and now I've made her laugh?!_ I didn't dwell on the thought though, and instead smiled back at her, looking deeply into her sapphire eyes. _Her eyes aren't Japanese either..._ But who was I to say her eyes were beautiful, when it was her spirit and soul I suddenly felt so drawn to?  
  
-----  
  
That night, a black envelope came. I hid my dealings with Iizuka as best as I could from Kaoru, but I knew she suspected something when I explained I'd return very late that night. _This is the third assasination this week,_ I calculated, _not including the shinsengumi or the other Kamiyas._ _Katsura should give me a raise..._  
  
The calligraphy on the paper burned into my eyes._ Six feet tall, middle aged, missing his left ear. Jiro Akeno._ From what I understood, he wasn't a particularly important adversary, but his death tonight would be extremely easy to perform, as he was in Kyoto on business. He'd had some minor ties to Kamiya, but after his death he had decided to use the opportunity to strengthen his bond to the Shinsen-gumi. _I must rob them of their supporter before the alliance is made_.  
  
I reached the inn Akeno was supposedly staying at, lanterns shining orange against the blue of the night. Rain poured around me, chilling my skin through my layers of clothing and plastering my bangs against my face. With a brush of my fingers I pushed them out of my eyes, then slowly crept toward the inn.  
  
_People are still awake in the common room... I should wait until they've left before making my move_. I found a small, dark corner amongst a few empty rice barrels. I crouched there, ears open for the sound of silence.  
  
"I don't care!" a young boy's voice rang loudly from inside the inn, "She's my cousin- your late sister Eriko's daughter! I can't let her stay any longer with those horrid men!"  
  
"Calm yourself Yahiko!" came another strong voice, "She's safer with them than with us for the moment. The Ishin want our friendship- and that will protect her."  
  
"If we don't fetch her tomorrow, the Ishin could kill her!" defended the boy called Yahiko.  
  
"The Ishin are expecting us tomorrow, yes, but if they plan on earning our friendship they will be civil to little Kaoru until we arrive- even if it is later." Kaoru?! The Myojins were inside the inn. _If I don't perform this assasination... I don't want to think about that. But if I do... the Myojin alliance might be lost to us forever.  
_  
But I was a hitokiri, not a politician, and a hitokiri kills whom he is told. _Unless they have pretty blue eyes..._ I cracked upon my forehead lightly with the back of my hand, to remind my self of my thoughts. I can't be distracted during my work.  
  
But distraction was inevitable. As much as I tried to control it or deny it, whenever I wasn't looking at Kaoru or talking to her, I thought about her._ Two days ago... I didn't know she existed... and now she's taken over me.  
_  
Why did I think of her so much? It began as a sort of chivalry, which turned to pity since I too knew how it felt to lose what she had. And doubtless she was beautiful- and for one who doesn't take time to dwell over women that meant something. _She's smart, and she's even got some sword skills. We've got lots of common ground. Yet her life story couldn't possibly be anything like mine- so we've got nothing in common.  
_  
An exasperated sigh escaped my lips. She was a puzzle- that's all there was to it. Once I figured out just what made her so different, she'd leave my mind in peace. The two Myojins continued to argue inside, and I cursed myself for temporarily tuning out their words.  
  
"Don't you want to see her safe?" fought Yahiko, "The fact that they've kept her alive at all shows their intentions!"  
  
"I'm going to bed," announced the older man, "If you're _so_ intent on seeing your cousin again, then fetch her first thing tomorrow." A few moments passed, and the lantern faded, engulfing the area in pitch darkness. I gingerly stood up and tread toward the door, removing my shoes as I had when I'd killed Fujitaka Kamiya.  
  
I pressed my hands to the shoji screen door and pushed it aside slowly, not daring to breath.  
  
I snuck through the dark corridors on tiptoe, a dark wraith promising death where I tread. I reached the wooden staircase, which I swiftly but carefully ran up. A couple of the steps creaked under my light touch, sending a chill up my spine at the thought of the inn waking up around me. _How many would I have to kill then?  
_  
A lone man stood outside one door on the second story. His eyes shot in my direction immediately, his hand flying to the hilt of his katana. I sprinted forward, executing a swift batou-jutsu, which sliced effortlessly through the guard's gut. Body and sword clamored to the ground, and I took a moment to scan the area for signs of life.  
  
The area clear, I turned toward the guarded door and slid it open, exposing a lone man sitting in a corner, reading some documents by candle light. He turned to look at me as I entered, eyes widening at the sight of my bloody katana. _Six feet tall, middle aged, missing his left ear_. Akeno fit his description well.  
  
"No," he begged, voice barely audible, "I- I have a wife and two little boys... don't kill me..." His blood gurgled in his throat as I deftly thrust my sword into his heart.

_"Shinta, Benjiro, Keitaro... my poor, sweet babies," my mother cooed, tears spilling out of her dark brown eyes, "Your father's gone to the next place."  
  
"Hito Kamiya was assasinated last night."  
  
"Well, it isn't your nature to kill, is it?"  
_  
Eyes glazed over, he slumped upon the ground as I jerked my katana out. My scar bled.  
  
------  
  
I made certain to wash the blood off myself before returning to my room that night. _There's still red on my clothing, and now I'm soaked... but it should comfort Kaoru a little. _She'd be leaving tomorrow, and I didn't want her to be afraid of me._ Funny... now that I don't find her presence awkward I don't want her to leave...  
_  
The mouse waited for me at the entrance to the inn, squeaking mischievously. _Does it think it's my new pet? Well, that's what I get for feeding it_. It followed me back to the room, skittering into a dark corner as soon as the shoji door opened.  
  
Kaoru lay on the futon, chest slowly heaving up and down to the gentle rhythm of her breathing. Asleep. _Well, I should probably change out of these wet clothes_. The downside of washing away blood by pouring a bucket over one's head.  
  
I slid the door shut and lit a candle, then rummaged through my folded clothing for a new gi and hakama, settling on forest green and white. I slowly shed my wet, bloodstained assasin's clothes, then pulled the clean, dry clothes over my cold skin.  
  
"Um... Mister Himura?" came a small voice from behind me. I spun around to find Kaoru propping herself up on her elbows, a soft blush on her cheeks. _Shit- how much did she see?_  
  
"Call me Kenshin," I corrected, though I didn't know why. The only person who had called me by my second first name was Hiko- why should this girl be any different? I couldn't hide the red that crept upon my cheeks.  
  
"Forgive me- I thought you were asleep," I apologized. _Nice going... you know she's a light sleeper._  
  
"I was..." she drifted off, turning her head to look about the room. The blush remained on her cheeks as she avoided my gaze. _She's even beautiful when she blushes.  
_  
I smiled and sat beside the book case, casually pulling out my top and giving it a good spin. Kaoru lay her head on the pillow again, but kept her eyes open, slowly watching the top's movements.  
  
_"Papa! Papa!" I cried out as I ran over to him. Benjiro was at my heels, running as quickly as his chubby legs could carry him. My father smiled at both of us, holding three trinkets in his hands after a trip to the marketplace.  
  
"Shinta! Benjiro!" he shouted in return, "I've got presents!"  
_  
A small round ball for Benjiro. A pretty hairpin for our mother, whom at the time had been pregnant with Keitaro. And lastly, a little top for me. I watched the top spin on the ground as memories spun in my head.  
  
A grey ball scampered across the room, crawling over the futon. A yelp escaped Kaoru's lips as she scrunched her body into a ball, trying to keep herself as far from the rodent as possible. _She knows her father's kendo style, has looked death in the eyes, and is still afraid of a harmless mouse_. I gently took the mouse into my hands. It did not try to escape, but rested calmly in my palm.  
  
"Kaoru," I began gently, ignoring formality, "Don't be afraid. It's only a little mouse." I held it in my right hand and slowly stroked it's soft, grey fur with my left index finger.  
  
"But... but..." Kaoru protested as I crouched down next to her holding the beast. Her eyes gazed at the little creature with a strange fascination, but I felt a sudden pang of fear in her ki every time it moved.  
  
Gently, I took her hand in mine and slowly moved it over to the mouse. She shook with fear, and her ki screamed.  
  
"No.... Kenshin... don't," she murmured as I focused my grip on a single finger, manipulating its motions.  
  
"Don't be afraid," I whispered, as I slowly moved her finger along the mouse's fur. She gasped softly. I could read her thoughts by the look in her eyes- she was touching a _mouse_ and everything was... fine.  
  
I softly released her hand from my grasp, but she continued to pet the little mouse, a content smile resting on her lips.  
  
"Once you see one up close..." she reasoned quietly, "It's actually kind of cute." Her ki was back to normal, her breathing relaxed.  
  
Suddenly, I wanted to put my arm around her. _No... she's leaving tomorrow, and an assasin can't bother with things like that._ But my body disobeyed my mind, as I gently placed my left hand on Kaoru's left arm, my arm wrapping around her back. _Fuck being an assasin. I can't keep lying to myself._ I pulled her closer to me, half-expecting her to protest and snap away.  
  
She didn't.  
  
------  
  
The sun shone brightly the next morning when Yahiko Myojin came. To my surprise, he was only ten, with messy black hair, green hakama, and a yellow gi. Katsura bid him to wait in the common room while I fetched Kaoru.  
  
She wore the blue kimono for her departure. She looked more radient than I ever could have imagined- her eyes shamed the deepest cerulean of the sea, the strongest azure of the sky. The blue ribbon firmly tied around her hair, which flowed out of the high ponytail like shimmering silk.  
  
"Your cousin Yahiko is here for you, Miss Kaoru," I annouced heavily, "I don't suppose we'll see each other again, so I wish you the best."  
  
"Kenshin... can I ask you one more question?" Her eyes sparkled, reflecting the brilliant shades of her kimono. _Is she trying to delay leaving?  
_  
"Of course. Ask anything you wish." Kaoru bit her lip, pondering her words.  
  
"For how long will you continue to be the Ishin's assasin?"  
  
"As long as it's necessary. I will do this until the Japan is at peace once more. Or else, until I die, should the conflict outlive me."  
  
"I see," replied Kaoru softly, "For quite awhile, then. Um... is there something you'd like to ask me now?"  
  
"There is," I answered slowly, stepping closer to her. My heartbeat rose, and I felt certain she could hear the difference as I leaned close to her ear. _It's now or never._  
  
"Can I kiss you?" I breathed. Time stopped as I waited for her answer, heart beating madly in my chest. I longed for the answer and dreaded it at the same time, and I felt naked and vulnerable until her sweet whisper filled my ears.  
  
"Yes."  
  
I slowly placed my fingers under her chin, lifting her lips toward mine. I gently pressed my mouth against hers, her lips soft and warm. I held them against mine for a moment, not daring to breath as I eased them open and slid my tongue inside.  
  
She started for a moment, then relaxed and returned the favor, caressing my tongue with hers. My arms wrapped themselves around her, hands resting on the small of her back. _I wish we could stay like this forever- never break apart_.  
  
But we did.  
  
I couldn't bring myself to look in Kaoru's eyes as she met Yahiko in the common room. But I watched her smile, and heard her laugh as she and her cousin hugged each other like brother and sister. _She has a place... and it's not here_.  
  
"Thanks for taking care of her," thanked Yahiko, "I'm sure my dad will help you guys out if you need him." Katsura's eyes smiled and caught mine, but I didn't return the glance. That boy might not have realized who killed Akeno, but his father might have.  
  
He and Kaoru bowed deeply, then left, bright smiles on their faces. I watched Kaoru walk away, through the hall then out the shoji door. _Goodbye, Kaoru Kamiya. _Yahiko reached behind him and shut the door, stealing her from my sight.  
  
_I love you.  
_  
-----------

Maybe Kenshin should name the mouse Mr. Jingles...(j/k). I hope they didn't seem to be moving too fast into romantic stuff, but I figured since he spend a whole chapter and a half contemplating Kaoru I could put in some mushy stuff without making it OOC. At least I hope it's not OOC... I liked this chapter a lot, and it turned out to be 8 pages long. Wow! Usually when I write, chapters tend to get shorter as the story goes on, but there really wasn't anywhere else I could have broken this one off. I threw in the bit about Kenshin's ancestry for my own amusement mostly. I don't know if I'll be able to update again before my trip... so if I don't post anything by Sunday, then there won't be anything until mid-july. Another big thank you to all my reviewers :-)!


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